TRAVELLERS who set up a camp close to the A444 in South Derbyshire on Friday have now left the site, leaving piles of rubbish all over the field.

On Saturday the Mail reported that around 30 caravans began to gradually arrive at the site next to the St Modwen Manorfields development in Castle Gresley on Friday.

Residents living nearby said they were concerned that the travellers stay at the site, which was set up on land owned by St Modwen Homes, for a sustained length of time unless the company took action to have them evicted. It is not known whether the group was asked to leave or did so at their own accord.

One resident who lives close to the site said that the group gradually began to leave the area on Sunday. He told the Mail: “The last caravan on the field left at about seven o’clock on Sunday evening.

“Of course you don’t want them setting up a site so close to where you live, and I’m glad that they’ve left. I was concerned that they would be here for a while. However they’ve left the field in a complete mess, with rubbish everywhere, which we’re not happy about either.” It is believed that the group were in transit having visited the Appleby Horse Fair in Cumbria between June 5 and 11.

Paul Daniels, St. Modwen Homes’ site manager at Manor Fields, said: “All litter has now been removed from our site near Manorfields. To prevent future unauthorised access and ensure the area remains safe, St. Modwen Homes has increased security measures, including installing a security camera.

“Additionally, heras fencing has been attached to the existing fencing. We have also placed large mounds of soil at the entrance to the site, meaning that only heavy machinery can now enter the development.”